Deflections: Bring back play - in practice

The
first time I saw Participaction’s road hockey video, I thought it was
brilliant. Then came the punchline - at which I laughed, punched the air, and
exclaimed, “Exactly!”

Do
you remember it? Four kids are playing road hockey in a parking lot. A black
screen slides in from the right, the kids are “virtually” pushed to the net and
their game stops while the on-screen text reads, “Screen time is taking away
play time.” The punch line at the end reads, “Participaction: Don’t visit our
web site.”

We
ought to have something like it for our minor hockey practices. Here’s my film
treatment for a 30-second spot.

Seconds
0-10: Fifteen kids are doing drills in a hockey practice. A few are standing around
awaiting their turns. Others are hopelessly lost in a drill. A couple seem to
do them well. Meanwhile three coaches carry on a steady stream of instructions.
They point here and there, zip over to some pylons to put them back in place,
demonstrate skills...You know the routine. It goes on every day. The coaches
are positive in their delivery. No one is screaming or berating. They just
don’t shut up.

Seconds
10-15: From the top of the screen (help with CGI graphics needed, please) drops
down a muzzle for each coach. Then the players are magically (more CGI - or
Pixar) removed from the drills and plopped into a cross-ice game of 3-on-3.

Seconds
15-25: With the coaches muzzled, the kids play the 3-on-3 game. The ones who
were standing before are now chasing a puck. “Lost” kids go the net for a shot.
The hotshots try to get past everyone with the puck, but there’s no room and
they lose it. A goal is scored and they all imitate the NHL guys with sticks
raised, and fist bumps.

Seconds
25-30: A graphic slides up from the bottom of the screen. It reads, “Shut up
and let them play.”

(With
this published blog, I announce I now own the copyright to the idea. Stay tuned
for the full movie. Hey, if they can make a film about SNL’s Coneheads, then
this little spot should be a slam dunk...er...empty-netter.)

There’s
a place in practice to teach, to instruct, to correct. But it isn’t all the
time nor every practice nor even for every age level. Probably the gravest
error we commit in coaching is over-coaching. We need to put more play into our
practices and just, well, shut up.

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